Back to Annual Meeting

Back to Annual Meeting

APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Ray Marks, EdD¹, Haean Ok, EdD², and John Allegrante, PhD¹. (1) Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027, 212-463-4053, rm226@columbia.edu, (2) Health Education, Mokwon University and Teachers College, 525 West 120th Street, New York, NY 10027

Background: Although health communication is an important, often overlooked, determinant of health status, and is currently addressed in Healthy People 2010, little is known about racial, and selected social factors that may influence the patient-provider interaction adversely in the context of cancer communications. Objective: To examine whether the following five important health communication variables were perceived to have been carried similarly by primary health providers, regardless of personal or social factors: (a) listening carefully, (b) showing respect, (c) facilitating joint decision-making, (d) spending time and (e) explaining things clearly. Methods: The required information was retrieved from the National Cancer Institute's (NCI) Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) for 2002-2003 data base, and responses of 3 groups-those with a cancer diagnosis, a family history of cancer and healthy people (n=5,000) were analyzed using cross-tabulations, chi-square and factor analysis, step-wise multiple regression and t-test comparisons. Results: The results revealed less frequent reporting of showing respect, taking time, and joint decision-making (p <. 01) than listening and explaining things carefully, regardless of health status. Not having insurance, a usual source of care, low educational attainment, and being Hispanic were associated with a significantly lower perceived frequency of reporting that providers performed these communication tasks (p < .001). Conclusion: Contrary to the Healthy People 2010 goals of reducing health disparities and the pursuit of ‘health for all' as a human right by WHO, health communications between providers and marginalized groups who bear the burden of ill health in the United States remain strikingly suboptimal.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify the link between health status and the perceived quality of provider patient communications, as this affects cancer prevention and treatment.
• Articulate what disparities exist in provider communication perceptions of disadvantaged groups with and without cancer diagnoses.
• Develop a communication strategy for improving health promotion efforts provided by primary caretakers in the United States for purposes of cancer prevention and intervention.

Keywords: Cancer, Counseling

Related Web page: cancercontrol.cancer.gov:0/hints/index.jsp

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered

Handout (.ppt format, 81.0 kb)